Latest news with #JaapvanZweden
New Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
ESO wraps up three-night KL tour under Maestro Jaap van Zweden
KUALA LUMPUR: The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO), led by its Artist-in-Residence Jaap van Zweden, concluded its three-night tour in Kuala Lumpur with a final concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) on July 20. The tour, titled "Destiny Symphony – Jaap van Zweden and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra," featured a VIP performance on July 18 and a charity concert the following day. All three performances were held at DFP, marking ESO's first international tour under Maestro van Zweden since his appointment in early 2025. "This was a meaningful milestone for the orchestra and a testament to the deepening cultural exchange between Taiwan and Malaysia. The concert was a demonstration of the power of unbounded charity and music without borders," ESO said in a statement. Some 300 guests from more than 10 organisations for disadvantaged communities attended the charity concert on July 19, including the National Autism Society Malaysia (Nasom), the National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM), and the Down Syndrome Association of Selangor (PWSDNS). The concerts showcased a range of classical works, with the first half featuring Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" Overture, evoking the sweeping imagery of the ocean. It was followed by Mozart's Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C major, with Malaysian flutist Yew-Kia Koh and Taiwanese harpist Menglu Chiu performing as dual soloists. "This collaboration symbolised the beauty of international artistic cooperation," said van Zweden. The second half of the programme featured Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, widely known as the "Symphony of Fate", and concluded with two encores: Dvořák's Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8, and the beloved Malaysian classic "Getaran Jiwa." The ESO said the Malaysian tour not only promoted Taiwanese musical excellence but also strengthened ties between the peoples of Taiwan and Malaysia. Plans are already in motion for tours next year and beyond. Future tours are expected to include stops in major cities across Asia, Europe, and the United States, further elevating Taiwan's presence on the global classical music stage.
New York Times
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Waiting for Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic Is Doing Just Fine
The New York Philharmonic is flying free. Its former music director, Jaap van Zweden, left last summer. Its next, Gustavo Dudamel, is gradually deepening his commitment — including performances of Mahler's Seventh Symphony at David Geffen Hall through Sunday — but doesn't officially start until fall 2026. Those who follow orchestras tend to assume that their quality will dip without a devoted director to oversee things. Partly because of the myth of the indispensable, all-powerful maestro, it can be easy to fear that conductorless periods will be rudderless ones. That certainly hasn't been the case this season at Geffen Hall. The Philharmonic has been sounding great: fresh, vital, engaged, more cohesive. The chilly blare that seemed to frost the hall's acoustics when it reopened in 2022 after a renovation has warmed and softened. The most telling music-making of the year was in a program last month led by the Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer. The final hour of the concert was given over to a rare performance of Bartok's fairy-tale ballet 'The Wooden Prince,' a sprawling, instrument-packed score that swerves from candied to bombastic, from radiant expanses to driving dances. The orchestra rose to the occasion with playing that was nuanced and colorful, and in Mozart's 'Turkish' Violin Concerto, the ensemble matched Lisa Batiashvili's sensual flair. But in a way, I was even more impressed by the opener: Mozart's overture to 'The Magic Flute,' a chestnut of the kind that is often passed over quickly in rehearsal. It glowed. The true test of a great orchestra — what reveals its base line standard — isn't how it does in the big symphonies and premieres that steal the lion's share of attention and applause. It's how the group sounds in little repertory standards, and that 'Magic Flute' overture may have been the most encouraging seven minutes of the season. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
